Add Jonny Flynn to the Mix

[Kstat]

It's not abut the W/L for this season. It's about the next 2-3 seasons. Any little thing to help out knight, Drummond, Monroe, etc. you do it.

Maybe tayshaun means an extra 1-2 wins this season. Maybe he means an extra 20 wins over the next 3 seasons because the younger players mature faster. Maybe knight is an all star in 2 years because the team is winning games as opposed to having to figure it out in his own and struggling with the added pressure.

Young teams get better faster when there is a veteran leader in the team to keep things stable. If not tayshaun, then bring in another vet that commands respect in the locker room.

We should be done with the lottery picks. This team needs to start winning games, or risk become the clippers or warriors where a losing mentality sets in and it takes a decade to get back into the playoffs.

Keeping tayshaun IS the greater good. Sacrificing him to tank another season is the far bigger long term risk.

[Joe Asberry]

Tay never was a vocal leader, i think this leadership is overrated...yes he is one of the few veterans on this team, and i agree you need some vets even on a rebuilding team, but we have like 4 billion SF on this roster, also his on court play is regressing, he could help a contender far more, than this current Pistons team on or off the court.

I hope we're done with the lottery picks too very soon, we got enough talent out of the draft, i think free agency and trade will be more important to get better in the near future...next summer gonna be huge, can't repeat 2009.

[Kstat]

I'm open to possibly replacing Tay with another more vocal veteran with a similar resume, but that's a tall order.

Hopefully we have a breakout season in 2013 and the need to keep him around diminishes next summer.

[Vinny]

I'm with K-Stat, it doesn't have to be Tay but it is beyond important to have a strong veteran presence. See like 20 years of LAC, etc. There are exceptions of course but 90% of the time, throwing it to the kids on their own fails.

[mercury]

I was all ready to send Tay out on the next boat to Transylvania... upon further review... he knows the system... coaches .... and he is willing to speak up to the kids... one more year.
Oh, and yes we can use one last lotto pick b4 we donate it for the BG cause.

[Pharaoh]

The Thunder had a whole bunch of kids, let them loose and BOOM! look where they are now.

Having veteran leaders is fine but you need talent to win games and if dealing Tayshaun puts us in a better position long term to win big then you do it in a heartbeat

I guess it all depends on how you view Monroe (and Stuckey and Knight): are they ready for more responsibility? If yes then you make them co-captains and go from there. If you don't think they are ready for that then keep Tayshaun and tread water for another season.

IMO Tayshaun needs to go, Monroe needs to be the leader with Stuckey and Knight backing him up - for better or worse those 3 guys will play a huge role in the next 2-3 years here

[Glenn]

The Thunder had a whole bunch of kids, let them loose and BOOM! look where they are now.

Having veteran leaders is fine but you need talent to win games and if dealing Tayshaun puts us in a better position long term to win big then you do it in a heartbeat

I guess it all depends on how you view Monroe (and Stuckey and Knight): are they ready for more responsibility? If yes then you make them co-captains and go from there. If you don't think they are ready for that then keep Tayshaun and tread water for another season.

IMO Tayshaun needs to go, Monroe needs to be the leader with Stuckey and Knight backing him up - for better or worse those 3 guys will play a huge role in the next 2-3 years here

Was thinking similarly, except the part about Stuckey leading anything.

Monroe and Knight seem equipped to lead.

As far as Tay, he can GTFO. We've had a leadership void for years, suddenly he's going to step up and lead? Silly notion.

[Pharaoh]

I only mention Stuckey because IMO it's now or never - either he takes a role that matters or he can GTFO!

Dude couldn't be the PG
Dude is never going to be an elite SG

He's been on the roster for a lot of years now so he's at that point where he can be a vocal leader simply due to time served. If you take Tayshaun off the roster Stuckey would be the most likely guy to take that leadership role... and we should fucking expect him to do it!

Knight and Monroe are obviously our best players - but that doesn't always mean they should be the team leaders... though you'd expect them to lead by example. I'd expect Stuckey to be the guy to police the locker room, help out the rookies and act as a go-between for the coaches and players. He's been around long enough to do that

You never know - Stuckey could excel in that role. Unlikely, but it's possible

Either way I don't subscribe to the theory that a veteran like Tayshaun can add 20 wins to the team over the next 3 years through his leadership somehow helping Knight and Monroe. You're assuming that his leadership actually has any positive impact on Monroe and/or Knight that they wouldn't have caused themselves! You're assuming that a guy who has NEVER been very outspoken about the team is all of a sudden going to be a vocal leader and that he'll somehow nurture Knight, Monroe and Drummond

I'm of the opinion that Tayshaun's best days are long gone and the RIGHT move for this team is to trade him to a contender in exchange for expiring contracts and picks of some description. Tay gets a shot at another ring and we get to clear more cap space to use next summer... and the pick or picks would be gravy

I find it funny that people don't want to lose Tayshaun - IF he stays Jerebko, Daye and Singler get less minutes!

[Kstat]

The Thunder had a whole bunch of kids, let them loose and BOOM! look where they are now.

First off, the Thunder had Kevin Durant. That's like saying the Bulls didn't need a veteran leader because they had Michael Jordan. We do not have a future 1st ballot hall of famer on the roster.

You are looking at exceptions to a rule when %99.9 of the time a young team is left to its own devices, it goes the other way completely.

Second, entrusting the leadership of the team to Monroe or Stuckey is fine, but there needs to be a calming influence when shit hits the fan. That's the type of leadership I'm talking about. Tayshaun isn't vocal but he does understand the pacing and flow of a game as well as any player in the league.

If you think Knight is the next Isiah Thomas, then you could be right that they don't need Tayshaun. If you don't think he's the next Isiah Thomas, the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of keeping him.

I'd love to be the next Thunder, but I also have no desire to risk becoming the next Clippers/Warriors/Bobcats/Knicks/Timberwolves/Raptors/Nets/Wizards/Kings.

...as for Singler/Daye/Jerebko.... Jonas is at best a 3/4 combo backup, Singler would be best groomed as Tayshaun's future replacement down the road, and anything that keeps Austin Daye from seeing the floor gets an endorsement from me.

[Glenn]

anything that keeps Austin Daye from seeing the floor gets an endorsement from me.

I remember you hyperventilating about him during summer league a few years back.